Tiger, I rejected the iron rice bowl.

Only when Wang Yuyu's figure disappeared completely did the five of them seem to have all their strength drained away. They all plopped down on the snow, panting heavily. Their clothes were already soaked with cold sweat and clung to their bodies, feeling icy cold.

After a long pause, Cheng Zhiyong finally managed a wry smile and said, "Damn... I can brag about what happened tonight for the rest of my life!"

"Who would have thought that I could survive a direct confrontation with a wild Siberian tiger!"

"Hahaha..." The group forced a few laughs, their laughter filled with relief at surviving the ordeal.

Sheng Weihao laughed and scolded, "Stop bragging! You should be thinking about how you're going to explain this to your parents!"

"Trying to camp deep in a protected area and then encountering tigers? I bet they'd break your legs!"

Cheng Zhiyong shuddered at the thought of his two retired fathers, and said with a mournful face, "You're no better! None of you are getting away!"

"Hahaha!" Laughter rang out again beside the camp, dispelling the fear and oppression from before, leaving only the relief of surviving a disaster.

Before the laughter subsided, a deep humming sound came from afar, growing ever closer.

The five looked up and saw a drone with a searchlight flying over the mountains and hovering steadily above them. The blinding light made it difficult for them to open their eyes.

Immediately afterwards, a clear and authoritative voice came from the drone, repeatedly broadcasting: "This is the Linhai City National Nature Reserve. You have entered the core control area without authorization. According to the 'Regulations on Nature Reserves,' camping and using fire at night are illegal. Please extinguish your campfire immediately, gather your belongings, and leave! The drone will continue to record video evidence!"

"WARNING! This area is the core activity range of wild Siberian tigers and leopards. Staying here at night poses a serious risk to your personal safety! Please stop immediately and follow the drone's guidance to evacuate! Refusal to cooperate will result in legal consequences, and you will be solely responsible for all safety issues!"

The drone kept urging them on, giving the five people, who had just recovered, a terrible headache.

They muttered curses under their breath as they scrambled to their feet and tidied up their things.

"What's the rush! Are you in such a hurry to be reborn?"

As Yu Xuewen haphazardly stuffed things into his backpack, he complained, "The tiger was practically blocking our way earlier and you guys didn't show up, but now that the tiger's gone, you're right on time! Typical hindsight!"

"Keep your voice down!" Han Tianyi sighed. "If you're too loud and attract that Siberian tiger back, none of us will survive! We won't even have time to cry then!"

"That's right, that's right, stop cursing!" Sheng Weihao said urgently while covering the campfire with snow. "Hurry up and pack up, then leave! Don't fight the drone, or you'll really be in big trouble!"

The five dared not delay any longer. They quickly stuffed the scattered items into their backpacks, then used the snow to completely extinguish the campfire. After confirming that there were no more embers, they picked up the trash on the ground and put it into their bags.

I was terrified by the tiger just now, but I haven't forgotten that I shouldn't litter.

The drone hovered above them the whole time, its searchlight illuminating the road ahead, guiding them toward the edge of the protected area as if it were "escorting" them.

After walking for about an hour, several beams of flashlight beams suddenly appeared in the woods ahead, accompanied by footsteps, and a team of forest rangers in uniform came to meet them.

The forest rangers didn't give the five people a friendly look.

Getting out of a warm bed in the middle of the night and braving the freezing cold to search for these "reckless" people in the mountains—anyone would feel a surge of resentment.

Captain Huo Yuanlong stepped forward, looked the five men up and down, and seeing that they were unharmed, couldn't help but sneer: "You five are incredibly lucky. You dared to spend the night in the territory of the Siberian tiger and are still standing here unscathed. Your luck is off the charts! Come with us and let's get out of this area first."

Sheng Weihao and his four companions also sensed the resentment emanating from the forest rangers. They became as docile as quails, keeping their heads down and not daring to utter a sound, obediently following behind Huo Yuanlong.

Sheng Weihao quietly approached Huo Yuanlong and cautiously whispered, "Brother, what...what kind of punishment will we be given for our situation?"

Huo Yuanlong didn't even turn his head, and said in a calm tone, "According to regulations, anyone who enters the core area without authorization will be fined five thousand yuan and banned from entering the nature reserve for life."

"In addition, they will be publicly criticized."

"A public reprimand?" Sheng Weihao's heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "Who is it being sent to? The workplace or the school?"

Huo Yuanlong turned his head, gave him a half-smile, and deliberately lowered his voice: "Inform your parents, otherwise who should we inform?"

"Let your family keep a close eye on you reckless brats, so you won't run off to your deaths in the deep mountains again."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Weihao and his four companions turned ashen-faced and paused in their tracks.

More terrifying than fines and bans is having your parents find out you sneaked out camping and encountered a tiger!

Seeing this, the forest rangers following behind couldn't help but lower their heads and chuckle secretly.

Captain Huo is teasing people again. There's no such rule about informing parents; it's just a little trick he uses to scare these people.

Meanwhile, not long after the five people left, Wang Yuyu slowly circled back from the mountains and forests.

He walked to the previous campsite, sniffed it, and then looked around.

The campfire went out, the trash was taken away, and although there were still traces on the ground, the area was clean overall, with not a single piece of trash left behind.

Wang Yuyu nodded in satisfaction, a hint of approval flashing in her amber eyes: "You guys know what's good for you."

He muttered to himself, "This is Benshan's territory! How dare you litter and pollute the environment? I'll tear all your stuff down!"

However, he decided to come back and check again carefully after daybreak to make sure there was no trash left behind.

Then, he flicked his tail, turned around, and left the camp.

He's a diligent "career tiger," and he can't afford to delay his mission of patrolling his territory.

This food-rich area is one of the two "assets" he has left.

He used to have three stable food sources, one of which was the area where the wild boar herd that was wiped out last time was located.

Now that the wild boars are gone, only this place and another one remain.

He had to patrol the area thoroughly to ensure there were no poachers or other threats. If even this place had problems, he would really have to go begging to Tang Li for food, or fight with the surrounding neighbors for territory, which would be a real hassle.

Walking in the silent forest, moonlight filters through the treetops, casting dappled shadows.

Wang Yuyu's eyes shone brightly in the night as she watched the lively little animals around her, and she couldn't help but start naming the animals: "Oh my, that's a sika deer, and it's quite plump!"

"And pheasant! I haven't had it in ages. I'll try to get one next time to satisfy my craving!"

"Wow, it's a grouse! That's a real delicacy, the meat is so tender!"